Productivity of KTI Ports Low

Kadin suggests 24-hour loading and unloading operations

TULARJI

JAKARTA: The productivity of goods loading and loading in several ports in Indonesian Eastern Region (KTI) is very low; ranging from 200 tonnes to 400 tonnes per day. This fact is caused by inadequate facilities and workers.

Deputy Chairman of the Standing Committee on Logistics and Inter-modes of Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin), Anwar Sata, said that the KTI ports in question are, among others, Palu, Bau-Bau, Luwuk, Merauke, Pantoloan, and Ternate.

According to him, generally, loading and unloading activities for goods such as fertiliser, cement, rice, and other general cargo from a vessel with a 3,000 tonnes load require time up to 10 days. Anwar explained that the ports that have a high loading and unloading productivity level are Makassar Port in South Sulawesi, Tanjung Benoa in Bali, and Bitung in North Sulawesi, with an average rate of 500 - 1,000 tonnes per day. “Meanwhile, the other ports have a rate within the range of 200 - 400 tonnes per day,” he said to Bisnis yesterday.

Anwar also stated the low loading and unloading productivity is found in Biak, Gorontalo, Sorong, Ambon, Manokwari, and Jayapura Ports, with a rate of around 400 tonnes per day. Low loading and unloading productivity in the region is caused by unpreparedness of loading and unloading workers (TKBM) that operate around the clock. “To lower goods prices in KTI, a minimum loading and unloading productivity of 800 tonnes per day is required.”

So far, TKBM in KTI only work up to 17:00 hours; far from the 24-hour target. “Whereas, low loading and unloading productivity causes significant increase in logistics costs, which leads to inflation of essentials.” He revealed that Kadin has suggested that all strategic ports in Indonesia begin full 24 hours seven days service to suppress the national logistics costs.

He explained that Kadin wants to lower the national to 10 percent in 2015 from the current 17 percent. “One way is by having 25 strategic ports to open 24 hour service.”

Container tariffsDeputy Chairman for Distribution and Logistics of Kadin Indonesia, Natsir Mansur, stated that container delivery costs from Tanjung Priok Port to several ports in Papua remain high until today - amounting up to four times the ideal tariff.

Container costs amount up to Rp 20 million per twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) from the calculated tariff of Rp 5 million per TEU.

He revealed that the expensive container transport tariff is caused by high loading and unloading costs and an inadequate number of operators. The condition causes prices of goods in Papua area and its vicinity to skyrocket compared to prices in other regions, thus burdening the people.

Natsir took an example of the tariff for transporting 20 TEUs containers for a 2,300-mile trip from Jakarta to Merauke, which remains at the level of Rp 20 million per TEU - 10 times compared to the tariff for a 870-mile trip from Jakarta to Makassar. According to him, container tariff for Jakarta - Makassar is currently noted at Rp 2 million - Rp 3 million per TEU. “If calculated based on range, the Jakarta - Merauke container tariff should have been only around Rp 5 million per TEU,” he said.

Based on the data collected by Kadin, container tariff from Tanjung Priok to several ports in the Papua areas is very high. In addition to Merauke, container tariff from Jakarta to Jayapura is recorded at Rp 12 million per TEU. Tariff for Jakarta - Manokwari route is registered at Rp 16 million per TEU. Conversely, delivery tariffs from the three ports in Papua to Jakarta are actually much cheaper. (tularji@bisnis.co.id)